by Kylie Walker
“It’s okay,” she told him.
He smiled warmly and said, “I’m going to wash up and then I’ll join you for breakfast. I brought the horses in just in case you and Derek would like to take a morning ride.”
She thanked him and he went to wash up just as Derek came down looking yummier than the breakfast in a light blue polo shirt that matched his pretty eyes and a pair of well-worn jeans. He gave her a look and she stifled a smile as Samantha fussed over him, pouring him coffee and juice and even trying to fix his plate. They feasted and when Chloe was finally so full that she thought she might pop she pushed herself back from the table and said, “Thank you so much Samantha. That was probably the best breakfast I’ve ever had.”
“Yes, amazing,” Derek said, patting his own belly.
Chloe stood up and picked up her plate.
“Huh uh! Samantha told her in an authoritative voice. “No cleaning up for you today.”
“I really don’t mind. You did all of this work.”
“Nope, you and Derek are either going for a ride or a walk or just having some quiet time in the back yard. You’ll be stuck with us all afternoon while we barbecue and have a fire…Oh crap!”
“What is it Samantha?” Derek asked her.
“She looked at Trevor who just came back out through the sliding glass doors and said, “There are a few ingredients I forgot to pick up at the store yesterday. I need them for tonight’s dinner.”
“Oh, that’s ok. I’ll run into town after a bit and get some, don’t worry.”
“If you wait until Chloe and I get back from our ride, I’ll go with you,” Derek told him.
“Great!” Trevor told him. “I’ll wait, but no rush.”
Chloe laughed and said, “I’ll have him back way before then. I’m not even really sure I can do this horseback thing.”
Trevor put his hand on her shoulder. Surprisingly, she didn’t flinch. It did her heart good to realize that she was healing…little by little.
“You’ll do just fine. Derek’s an expert on a horse. He’ll be a good teacher.”
Chloe went upstairs and changed into a full pair of jeans. By the time she came back down, Derek and Trevor had the horses saddled. She went over to where they were behind the fence and looked at the beautiful creatures. They both had tan bodies with dark brown manes and tails, and the only way Chloe could tell the difference between them was that one of them was a lot taller than the other.
“Is mine the short one?” she asked.
Derek smiled, “Yes, Chloe...Rocket. Rocket…Chloe.”
She pet the horse along his long nose and looked into his big brown eyes and said, “Hello there, Rocket. I’d appreciate it if you go easy on me.”
“He’s a sweetheart,” Trevor told her.
“Okay, are you ready?”
“Wait!” Samantha hollered at them before Derek helped Chloe onto the horse. She came running out of the house with a wicker basket on her arm and a little red and black plaid blanket.
Derek shook his head and said, “What is all this?”
“Lunch.”
Chloe and Derek both laughed. “You just fed us enough for an army.”
“That was breakfast. This is just in case you’re having too much fun to come back in time for lunch.”
Derek took it from her hands and strapped it to his saddle. “Thank you,” he told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Samantha put her hand on his cheek and then Chloe’s and said, “Have a great time.”
Derek laid the blanket over his horse behind the saddle and then took Chloe’s hand. He showed her how to put her left foot in the stirrup and then he said, “Okay, now just throw your right leg on over.” Chloe did and suddenly she was sitting up six feet off the ground. “How does it feel?” he asked her.
“Good, I like it up here…as long as he’s standing still.”
Derek laughed and handed her the reigns. “Rocket won’t make a move unless you tell him to. Just hang on to those for a minute.” He mounted his horse and Chloe couldn’t help but re-visit the tingle low in her belly that she’d had early this morning as she watched him. “Okay, here we go.” He clicked his tongue and his horse and Rocket both began to advance forward slowly.
“Whoa!”
“Do you need to stop?” Derek asked, pulling back on his horses’ reigns.
“No, we just started.”
“You said, whoa!”
She laughed, “I just meant whoa, this is cool.”
“Oh,” he said, laughing. “You’re confusing Rocket.”
She patted the horse on the side of his neck and said, “Sorry Rocket. I’ll get this.” They rode along the trail side by side until they came to the little creek at the end. Chloe pulled back lightly and Rocket stopped. “I’m not sure about this,” she said.
“Don’t worry; just give Rocket some slack on the reigns. He knows what to do.”
Chloe did as he told her and just as Derek said, the horse treaded lightly down one side of the small embankment and up the other. She couldn’t stop smiling as they rode across the deep grass underneath the sun. It was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect and Chloe’s heart felt at peace.
“You want to trot them for a bit?” Derek asked her.
“Do you think I’m ready?” she asked.
“Rocket will help you,” he said.
“How do I do it?” she asked.
“Just click your tongue at him and loosen the reigns.”
“Okay, let’s do this.”
They both clicked at the same time and the horses took off at a steady trot. The soft breeze caught Chloe’s hair and whipped it around her face. It made her feel…free. She followed Derek at a slow trot towards one of the small grassy knolls. The beauty around her continued to inspire awe and once they got to the bottom of the hill they reined in the horses and she said, “It’s so beautiful up here.”
Derek looked at her and said, “Yes, it is.”
“I meant the landscape,” she told him with a grin.
“That too,” he said. “I used to ride up here often. It’s good for the soul,” he said.
“I think I can feel mine getting lighter already.”
He reached over and clasped his hand behind her head. He pulled her over slightly and kissed her lips. “Mmm, even better now.”
He grinned and said, “Follow me, I want to show you something.”
She followed him up the side of the hill. She was a little nervous riding sideways, but once again, Rocket seemed to know what he was doing. When they got to the backside of the hill he said, “Look down.”
Chloe did and what she saw literally took her breath away. The meadow below them was blanketed in a lush carpet of yellow wildflowers.
“Derek, it’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah, it’s my favorite part. There’s a tree over there a ways where you can smell the wildflowers. I thought we’d try out that picnic basket.”
“You’re hungry already?”
“No. I just thought that sounded better than, “try out the picnic blanket.”
“Out here, in the open?”
He laughed, “There isn’t a soul around for miles. You haven’t lived until you’ve made love in the great outdoors.”
“How do you know I haven’t?” she asked raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, I’m sorry I just…”
She laughed. “I haven’t. Let’s go!”
She clicked her tongue at Rocket and he took off in the direction of the big tree. Derek caught up with her and when they got there, he slid off of his horse and helped her down off hers. He kissed her and then tied the horses to the tree. Then he spread the blanket out and they both sat down on it.
Derek leaned forward and put his hand on her neck underneath her hair. His touch was sizzling and Chloe felt the tickle begin again deep inside her core. He put his other hand on her waist as they kissed. He kissed her like that for a long time, long and slow and then he pulled back and looked
at her face.
“I love being out here with you like this. You seem so relaxed.”
She nodded. “I am. I love it too. The only thing that could make it better would be making love in the great outdoors.”
Derek didn’t need any more subtle hints when his hands slid up her top and cupped her breast. His lips smashed into hers with such intensity that it took her breath away. They couldn’t shed their clothes fast enough as their bodies glistened with desire in the morning sun.
His mouth dipped down and took in one of her nipples and licked and sucked gently as he slipped his fingers into her silken core and Chloe's eyes fell shut. There was no resistance as Chloe spread her legs wider to grant him all access as his fingers dove deeper inside her taunting her inner walls. She couldn't help but to rock her hips against his hand as she moaned out softly.
When he looked at her she saw his primal need for her reflected on his face and with the same fierceness, Chloe claimed his mouth and reveled in the feel as their tongues explored every corner of each other. Derek worked her body into a frenzy and she swayed to his rhythm as she inched even closer to her own utopia.
Reaching down, she grabbed his cock and began stroking, feeling every vein. She breathed into his ear, "I need you now."
Rolling on top of her, he grabbed his throbbing cock and in one fluid motion, he entered her sweetness. Her tightness gripped him, like wrapping him in a complete sheath of need and want...pulling him in deeper. Derek groaned with pleasure as she wrapped him with her warmth, digging her nails into his back.
A low moan escaped from the back of Chloe's throat and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he thrusted deeper, hitting her back wall. She felt as though she might float away as the pleasure swept over her entire body and he plunged in and out at a faster pace.
Chloe gasped out loud as her body shattered into a million pieces. Her body shuddered as her orgasm took hold and consumed her. Derek dipped down brushing kisses across her mouth before leaning his head in the crook of her neck and following her to climax with a forceful release and groan.
Derek crushed her body as she pulled against him, welcoming everything as he emptied inside of her. Both of them lay still trying to catch their breaths before Derek took her mouth. The warm wetness and intensity of his caress branded Chloe with love and lust in that exact moment.
It seemed like time had stopped around them before they found themselves finally getting dressed and enjoying the lunch that Samantha had packed for them.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Derek couldn’t stop smiling. Even when they got back to the house, he could still feel that he had a goofy grin on his face like a teenager. Chloe was amazing and he was so happy that they’d gotten to have this time together. He loved seeing her happy and relaxed. He already knew he loved being around her, but now it was becoming more than want…it was need.
When they got back, it was well past 2 pm. He unsaddled the horses and Chloe took one of the brushes and helped him wipe them down. She was patting Rocket on the neck and talking to him as she cooled him down. It was a beautiful sight to watch, his girl communing with nature. When they finished with the horses, they walked them out and Derek opened the fence. They released them into the meadow and stood there hand in hand watching as the beautiful creatures once again ran free. When they made it up to the house, Samantha had iced tea and homemade cookies waiting for them.
Chloe laughed when she saw the cookies. “You’re trying to fatten us up, aren’t you?”
“Maybe just a little,” Samantha said with a smile. “Neither of you look like you eat enough to me.”
“How was the ride?” Trevor asked.
Derek downed a glass of iced tea and said, “I think it may well have been my best one ever.”
He winked at Chloe and for the first time since he’d met her he saw color rise up in her cheeks as she blushed. It was cute and it made him want to kiss her again. He wasn’t surprised though. Pretty much everything she did lately made him want to kiss her…or more.
“So Derek did you still want to run into town with me?” Trevor asked him. “Samantha has added a “few” more items to our list.”
Derek laughed. “Yes, I’d love to go. I’m just going to clean up and change really quickly so I don’t smell like a horse.”
He gave a kiss to Chloe before he went upstairs. It was just a peck, but it would satisfy him…for now. After he took a quick shower and re-dressed in jeans and a t-shirt he went back downstairs. He found the three of them in the den looking at family photos. He quickly checked Chloe’s expression. He was hoping that it wasn’t upsetting her. So far, she seemed okay.
“Are you ready, Derek?” Trevor asked him.
“I’m ready,” he said. He bent down over the couch and kissed Chloe on the cheek. Trevor kissed her too and his wife and they headed out, armed with Samantha’s list. Trevor headed for the garage and Derek said, “Why don’t we just take my car since it’s already out. I know that you’re dying for a ride in her,” he said with a grin. “We can drive with the top down. The day is so beautiful.”
“You read my mind,” Trevor told him, “She is a beaut.” As they drove out of the paved driveway towards the main road Trevor said, “New toy?”
With an almost embarrassed smile Derek said, “Yes, part of my obsession. I collect classic cars and restore them to do their original 110 mph and yet I can hardly bring myself to do sixty.”
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” Trevor blurted out.
Derek glanced sideways at his father-in-law and then looked back at the road. “Chloe?”
“Of course, Chloe. How many women are you in love with?”
Derek laughed and said, “None, but just for argument’s sake, would it bother you if I was?” he asked.
“Not at all,” Trevor told him. “Quite the contrary in fact. I love her. I love you. I want you both to be happy.”
“Thank you,” Derek said. Then after a few seconds of silence he said, “Chloe and I haven’t talked about love yet…or a future. The past and the present have been consuming so much of our time.”
Trevor nodded. “That will change, and if you do love her don’t wait too long to tell her. You know as well as I do that sometimes we only get one chance and then that quickly,” he snapped his fingers, “It’s gone.”
Derek nodded solemnly. He turned onto the main road and as they started up the incline over the bluffs he turned on the radio. He and Trevor were talking about the song that came on…something by Credence Clearwater, when they reached the top of the hill. The slope on the other side wasn’t steep, but it went into a sharp turn near the bottom and the speed limit was only twenty MPH because it was blind. You couldn’t see what was coming up the other side until you got there. As they began to descend, Derek tapped the brakes. A sick feeling began to pulse in his gut when he realized how loose it felt. He pushed in on it and it went almost to the floor, barely slowing the car. He felt the panic rise up into the back of his throat as the curve rapidly approached him. He didn’t want to panic Trevor but when the older man realized Derek wasn’t slowing down, he looked over at him.
“Derek?”
“Hold on and say a prayer, Trevor. The brakes aren’t working. I’m going to do my best to maneuver this without them.”
Trevor nodded. He looked numb but he didn’t say anything else. Derek let the car glide in the center of the curve. As long as nothing was coming up the other side they would be okay. “Please let nothing be coming,” he chanted in his head as he felt the car going into a slide around the curve, now practically on two wheels.
He didn’t see the car until he heard Trevor yell out his name. He pulled to the right to keep from hitting them head on and that was when the car went off the side of the steep embankment and began to roll end over end. The car flipped over and over…so many times that Derek lost count. He became disoriented even before he sustained the concussion that would cause him to slip in and out of consciousnes
s.
He was aware of the taste of iron in his mouth, but unaware that it was blood. He was vaguely aware of someone screaming…someone was with him, but who? Sarah! Oh dear God! I killed Sarah…His mind was trying hard to stay awake and alert as the car finally stopped rolling and came to rest at the bottom of the ravine. He tried to turn his head, he needed to see Sarah…No, Sarah wasn’t there, and she couldn’t be. I already killed her. Sarah!
He sobbed out her name and again but he couldn’t hear any sound. Was he deaf, or was this conversation only happening in his head? Who is here? There’s breathing to his right…gasping, maybe. He tried to turn his head again, willing it to turn. Is it Chloe? Oh God! Chloe! Did I hurt you? Chloe! Where are you? Where am I? It was so cold and the light at the edges of his vision was beginning to fade. His eyelids fluttered and he entertained the thought that maybe he was home in bed. He tried to take a deep breath and smell the air. Am I on the yacht? I’m so sleepy. Maybe I’ll just close my eyes for a minute. It’s freezing in here. Where are my covers? He let his eyes close one last time. He was too tired to fight it. Everything was beginning to hurt. Why did everything hurt? Where is Chloe?
Just before the darkness consumed him, he heard the distant sounds of sirens. Fire trucks…or police cars…maybe an ambulance? His last thought before he slipped under the deep end was that he hoped no one was hurt.
“This one is my favorite, I think.”
Chloe was holding up a picture of Sarah in a fairy costume. She had on a hat with pointed ears made out of foam and a green dress that was made to look like an upside down honeysuckle and shoes that came to a point at the toe. There were leaves in brilliant fall colors attached all over the costume and hat.
“She wanted to be a “wood sprite” she said, so that’s what we came up with.”
“It’s brilliant,” Chloe told her, honestly. She felt that pang again in her chest that was becoming familiar to her lately, the pang of regret for all of the things that could have been.
